How To Start A Cover Letter Creately Design

So you want to learn flowcharts? Well, This flowchart guide will teach you all you need to know. It will cover the history of flowcharts, flowchart symbols, how to create flowcharts, flowchart best practices and we’ve also included a section to answer frequent questions about flowcharts. Best of all you can use our flowchart software to draw them.

Creately already has some really awesome articles covering various things related to flowcharts like Meanings of flowchart symbols, how to use swim lanes in flowcharts, flowchart best practices, case studies and much more. This blog post will simply gather all that information and present them in a logical way. I’ve added links to different sections to make it easier to navigate. Click on the relevant link to quickly read the relevant section.

History of Flowcharts

Frank Gilberth introduced flowcharts in 1921, and they were called “Process Flow Charts” at the beginning. Allan H. Mogensen is credited with training business people on how to use flowcharts. Wikipedia has a great summary of the history of flowcharts, read more in this wiki section.

Flowchart Symbols Meaning

Flowchart Symbols

So what are the different symbols used in a flowchart?. Most people are only aware of basic symbols like processes and decision blocks. But there are much more symbols to make your flowchart more meaningful. Above image shows all the standard flowchart symbols.

The most common symbol used in a flowchart is the rectangle. A rectangle represents a process, operation or a task. The next most common symbol is the diamond which is used to represent a decision.

There are many other flowchart symbols like Sequential access storage, Direct data, Manual input etc. Check the flowchart symbols page for a detailed explanation of different symbols.

Although these are the standard symbols available in most flowchart software, some people do use different shapes for different meanings. The most common example of this is the using circles to denote start and end. The examples in this flowchart guide will stick with the standard symbols.

How to Draw a Flowchart

How do you draw flowchart? Well, our flowcharting tool is a good place to start. But before directly using the tool lets take a look at some basics.

There are four main types of flowcharts. Document flowchart, System flowchart, data flowchart and program flowchart. Not everyone agrees with this categorization, but the core principals of drawing a flowchart remain the same. You need to consider few things when drawing a flowchart, Check out 6 useful tips on drawing flowcharts before you start.

If you are drawing a flowchart with many responsible parties you can group them together using swim lanes. Swim lanes are a powerful technique to increase the readability of you flowchart so you should use them according to the situation. Read using swim lanes in flowcharts to learn more about the process.

Below video shows how to draw a flowchart using Creately. It is very simple to use and one click create and connect helps you draw them faster as well. You can drag and drop symbols from the library or drag images to your diagram by doing an image search.

Flowchart Templates and Examples

Although you can start drawing flowcharts by scratch it is much easier to use templates. They help you reduce errors and reminds you about the best practices to follow. If you want to use a ready-made template, go to flowchart examples section and click on the flowchart that best suits you. Click on the use at template after the image and you are ready to draw your flowchart.

Below are two templates out of hundreds of flowchart templates available to the user. Click on any of them to start drawing flowcharts immediately.

Support Process Flowchart Template

Support Process Flowchart Template

Flowchart Best Practices

There are few things you can do to make your flowchart universally accepted. And there are some things that you can do to make it visually pleasing to others as well.

If you’re planning to share your flowchart or hoping to use it one presentation etc. then it’s wise to use standard symbols. However, it is important to remember that the idea is to give out information in an easy to understand manner. It is perfectly acceptable to use an alternative image instead of the document symbol as long as the audience understands it.

Keeping the arrow flow to one side, using same size symbols, naming the decision blocks, processes, arrows etc are few things you can do to make it better. The common mistakes section covers most of these practices in detail.

Common Mistakes Made when Drawing Flowcharts

This section highlights the common mistakes made when drawing flowcharts. Some of the things mentioned here are to make it better looking and more understandable, not having them in your flowchart won’t make it wrong. Since there are two posts covering these mistakes in depth I will link to them from this flowchart guide.

15 mistakes you would unintentionally make with flowcharts ( Part 1 )

15 mistakes you would unintentionally make with flowcharts ( Part 2 )

Effective Use of Flowcharts – Case Studies

A flowchart guide isn’t complete without some case studies.Below are three case studies and real life examples on how flowcharts can help you make decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Flowchart

The comments section of this article is full of questions. Please note that I will not draw flowcharts for specific scenarios. Below I have answered some of the most frequently asked questions.

Q 01: What is a subprocess in a flowchart?

Answer: Sometimes complex processes are broken down into smaller sub-processes for clarity. So a flowchart can point to a different sub process within its flow. The predefined process symbol is used to show such subprocesses.

Q 02: How are flowcharts used in computer programming?

Answer: A computer program consists many processes and flows. Flowcharts are used to visualize the processes and make it understandable for nontechnical people. They are also used to visualize algorithms and comprehend pseudo code which is used in programming.

Comments and Feedback on the Flowchart Guide

I hope this flowchart guide will help you to come up with awesome flowcharts. Flowcharts are a great way present complex processes in a simple to understand manner and they are used all over the world in many industries. If you have a question about drawing flowcharts or have any suggestions to improve this post, feel free to mention in the comments section.

More Diagram Tutorials

If you’re looking to make an immediate impression on the hiring manager, the the look and feel of your cover letter is a good place to start. Of course, the content on your actual page is what matters most — which is exactly why you should learn how to write a cover letter, or simply copy paste one of our personalized cover letter templates onto one of these beauties.

If that’s not enough, you can browse through our endless database of cover letter examples.

Build My Free Cover Letter Now!

Don’t have a resume yet? You might want to pair one of these battle-tested cover letter designs with its matching resume template.

Table of Contents:

Classic Cover Letters

Elegant Cover Letters

Dublin Cover Letters

Harvard Cover Letters

Milano Cover Letters

Park Cover Letters

Chicago Cover Letters

Modern Cover Letters

Classic Cover Letters

Click here to download Our Classic CL Pack

Elegant Cover Letters

Click here to download Our Elegant CL Design Pack

Dublin Cover Letters

Click here to download Our Dublin CL Pack

Harvard Cover Letters

Click here to download Our Harvard CL Pack

Milano Cover Letters

Click here to download Our Milano CL Pack

Park Cover Letters

Click here to download Our Park CL Pack

Chicago Cover Letters

Click here to download Our Chicago CL Pack

Modern Cover Letters

Click here to download Our Modern CL Pack

Why it’s called the “Classic”

The ‘Classic’ design is what most people consider as the traditional cover letter format. Like its resume counterpart, it has passed the test of time.

This design pack is designed to appeal to hiring managers in any industry or field.

Who should use it?

The ‘Classic’ is for anyone who wants a tried and true design that they can trust will give them the best chance of securing an interview. Since it is a universally accepted format, the ‘Classic’ is also great for applicants who are seeking to get into a different industry.

Format and styling details:

Major Features

Includes a line that separates the applicant’s contact details from the body of the cover letter

Uses the Georgia font to improve readability

Margins

Top – .1″

Bottom – .1″

Left – .75″

Right – .75″

Text Details

Font: Georgia

Name Font Size: 20pt

Text Font Size: 12pt

Why it’s called the “Elegant”

The ‘Elegant’ design expresses sophistication and grace in the most subtle manner. This format uses a light tone and a refined font that soothes the eyes.

Who should use it?

‘Elegant’ is perfect for those who have a lot to put on the page, but don’t want their cover letter to look cluttered. This format’s smaller margin help maximize the amount of info you can include without hurting the readability.

Format and styling details:

Major Features

A larger name font that attracts attention

Smaller margins that allow the applicant to include more information

Margins

Top – .5″

Bottom – .5″

Left – .5″

Right – .5″

Text Details

Font: Times New Roman

Name Font Size: 24pt

Content Font Size: 12pt

Why it’s called the “Dublin”

It’s no secret that the ‘Dublin’ gets its name from original version that includes the green heading. Just like the Dublin resume, people associated the green name font with the Irish. Since we’ve named other designs after cities, we thought “Dublin” had a nice ring to it.

Who should use it?

The ‘Dublin’ is suitable for job seekers who feel that they lack experience or enough info to fill the page. Luckily, this format uses larger margins and spacing to give the cover letter the full-page feeling.

Format and styling details:

Major Features

No horizontal lines

Only design pack with a green version

Margins

Top – 1″

Bottom – 1″

Left – .75″

Right – .75″

Text Details

Font: Georgia

Name Font Size: 24pt

Content Font Size: 12pt

Why it’s called the “Harvard”

The ‘Harvard’ gets its name because this design is perfect for academics, recent graduates, and college students. Like the university this design is dedicated to excellence.

Who should use it?

Anyone who wants to expand on their resume’s education section should use this design. The ‘Harvard’ offers plenty of room for applicants to discuss their internships or class projects.

Format and styling details:

Major Features

Smaller margins that maximize the amount of information that can be included

Centered contact information

Margins

Top – .5″

Bottom – .5″

Left – .5″

Right – .5″

Text Details

Font: Times New Roman

Name Font Size: 24pt

Content Font Size: 12pt

Why it’s called the “Milano”

The city of Milan is known as one of the fashion and design capitals of the world. Like the city, this format’s sophistication and style are sure to draw attention.

Who should use it?

The ‘Milano’ works well for anyone who wants their personality to show through their cover letter. This format is preferred among job seekers in creative positions such as artists, graphic designers, and marketers.

Format and styling details:

Major Features

Left-aligned header

Horizontal line that separates the contact information from the body of the cover letter.

Margins

Top – .5″

Bottom – .5″

Left – .5″

Right – .5″

Text Details

Font: Times New Roman

Name Font Size: 24pt

Content Font Size: 12pt

Why it’s called the “Park”

The ‘Park’ received its name from Park avenue in New York City. The famous street has been featured in movies and television shows for its luxuriousness and grandeur. The ‘Park’ exemplifies these features.

Who should use it?

The ‘Park’ is suited for those working in business-related positions such as accountants, bookkeepers, financial analysts, and business consultants.

Format and styling details:

Major Features

Separates the contact information and the content with a horizontal line

Uses the Arial Font

Margins

Top – .5″

Bottom – .5″

Left – .5″

Right – .5″

Text Details

Font: Arial

Name Font Size: 24pt

Content Font Size: 12pt

Why it’s called the “Chicago”

Like the Chicago skyline, this design stands tall amongst its counterparts. There’s no question that this format commands authority.

Who should use it?

If you have management experience, then the ‘Chicago’ is the cover letter for you. Use the targeted bullet points to highlight your major achievements as a manager.

Format and styling details:

Major Features

Large header font size

Centered contact details

Margins

Top – .5″

Bottom – .5″

Left – .8″

Right – .8″

Text Details

Font: Times New Roman

Name Font Size: 24pt

Content Font Size: 12pt

Why it’s called the “Modern”

As the name suggests, the ‘Modern’ uses a contemporary format that is more in line with times and follows the basic guidelines set out by hiring managers.

Who should use it?

The best thing about the ‘Modern’ is that it can be used by any type of job seeker. From entry-level to veteran professional, this design is flexible enough to adapt to any amount of work experience.